OC Fair dodgeball a flurry of gnarly fun

When balls fly, sweat drips and beer serves as the unofficial half time beverage, it can only mean one thing: ultimate dodgeball.

NLA Sports hosted the Ultimate Dodgeball Championships at the OC Fair on Saturday featuring four competitions: a men's tournament, a women's tournament, a co-ed tournament and a Last Man Standing event in which it was every player for himself in one chaotic game.

Eight teams made up of three men and three women each competed in the co-ed division which drew a crowd of more than 300 people to the Action Sports Arena.

In this particular arena, the courts were caged and the floor was made of dirt, quite different from the volleyball courts many of the players are used to.

The sport is far from the playground version from gym class. These players throw hard, they jump high and they strategize intensely.

"It's not fun if it's not competitive," said Irvine resident Chris Shiota, 27.

Shiota is a member of the Gun Show, a team with a strategy that appears seamless from the stands.

They have been playing together for about two years, and it shows.

They approach the line in unison and take aim at a target. They fire. Nearly every time, this mass attack results in one of their competitors walking to the sidelines. .

"It's all about knowing if you're on offense or defense," said Los Alamitos resident Brian Weingart, 23.

But, he added, it's not all serious sport.

"You (also) get to show off your muscles," Weingart said, sarcasm apparent. "It's really about showing off your masculinity."

Although a team like the Gun Show finished in the top four because it has been practicing as a unit for years, another team showed that individual talent also goes a long way.

The Honeybadgers, who were crowned champions at Saturday's event, are all dodgeball veterans who play in the same league but on different teams. They came together on Saturday after little practice as a team.

When they throw a ball at a target, it looks as if it stings. A lot.

"It's brutal, but it's fun," said Honeybadger Jonathan Pooler, 20.

Some players said they got in to the sport looking for something that would be fun, social and physical and found what has become something they fell in love with.

"It's addicting," said Lauren Beck, 29. "My husband and I (started playing) thinking it would be like a gym class, and we walked in and saw people just hurling balls at each other."

That was more than a year ago and now Beck is one of dozens who are part of a community that competes year-round in the sport. As much as it is about winning and competing, the relationships these players build keep them in the game.